


A very merry Polish Christmas

by mariothellama



Category: Football RPF
Genre: A traditional Polish Christmas, Alternate Universe, Cuddling & Snuggling, Dancing, Decorating the christmas tree, Eating, Established Relationship, First Christmas, Fluff, Gift Giving, Giving the man you love the perfect Christmas, Kissing, M/M, No sex but they talk and think about it, Romance, Santa's Elf, Work Christmas Party, feel-good fic, santa, waking up together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-22
Updated: 2017-12-22
Packaged: 2019-02-18 06:19:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,097
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13094220
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/pseuds/mariothellama
Summary: This is Marco's first Christmas apart from his family and he is spending it in Warsaw with Robert. Robert wants to make it as perfect as possible for him ...





	A very merry Polish Christmas

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Wings of Desire](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12743655) by [mariothellama](https://archiveofourown.org/users/mariothellama/pseuds/mariothellama). 



> I hadn't intended to write a specific Christmas fic but Robert and Marco begged for me to write their first Christmas together. This is nothing but a happy, romantic, feel-good Christmas story, a cheesy movie of a fic!
> 
> This is the same Robert and Marco, Łukasz and Kuba as in 'Wings of Desire', but you don't need to have read that story to read this one. Hopefully everything is explained and this Christmas fic doesn't touch on any of the plot issues from their longer WIP. It was always obvious that Marco and Robert would end up together, so I'm not giving anything away there!
> 
> To those of you who celebrate, I wish you a happy, peaceful and joyous holiday season!

Marco stirred sleepily, snuggled up warm and cosy against Robert’s still slumbering body. He lay there unmoving for a bit, listening to the reassuring sound of his love breathing, smiling at the adorable little snuffling sounds Robert made as he slept. They’d been together for nearly six months now and he still loved waking up next to the man he loved, just like they would do every morning for the rest of their lives. But today was the 22nd of December and they had a busy day ahead of them. So he gently shook Robert awake, softly kissing him on the cheeks and forehead to cushion the shock of being woken up like this.

Robert’s eyes blinked open, those beautiful brilliant blue eyes that Marco could lose himself in over and over again. ‘Good morning, darling,’ he said.

‘Good morning, my love,’ Marco replied, just like he did every single morning.

They kissed soft, sweet and gentle until Robert reluctantly tore himself away with a sigh. ‘Much as I would love to be able to spend the rest of the morning in bed with you, we need to get up and get going.’

The weather was cold outside, the temperature close to freezing, but they always kept their home warm, warm enough to walk around naked in, which of course they had a persistent habit of doing. Marco wriggled out of Robert’s arms and slipped out of bed. ‘I’ll shower first and make breakfast while you get ready.’ Their house was large and had several bathrooms, but sharing the en suite was more convenient for them, especially since they were both just the tiniest bit vain about their appearance, their hair in particular, and needed a large supply of products.

The coffee was ready by the time Robert came into the kitchen. It would be a long day so Marco had made a hearty breakfast of eggs, ham and fresh rolls for them. They ate companionably round the large, scrubbed wooden table that took pride of place in their kitchen; they preferred eating here to in the formal dining room on a daily basis.

Robert reached out to take Marco’s hand over the table, stroking over the back of his hand with a thumb. ‘Are you really OK with being away from your family over Christmas? You haven’t seen them since you moved here six months ago. There’s still time to change your mind. I’d find a way for us to fly to Dortmund tomorrow, no matter what it takes.’

Marco knew that Robert would do that for him in a heartbeat. That was one of the many things he loved about the dark-haired Pole who had captured his heart the very first time they met.

‘Thank you, Robert. I know you would. Of course I’ll miss my family. It’ll be the first time I’ve spent Christmas without them. But I’m looking forward to our first Christmas together as well. Christmas is about family. But it’s also about home. And my home is here with you now. Anyway, we’ll be celebrating the new year with my family and I can’t wait for them to meet you.’ He leaned over to kiss Robert briefly.

‘I hope that they like me. After all I stole their only son away from them. You came to Warsaw for a month’s holiday and never went back because of me.’ Robert looked genuinely worried at the thought.

‘My family will love you, I promise, How could they fail to love you when they see how happy you make me? But now we need to make a move. People are waiting for us.’

They drove the short distance to the Sports Science and Performance Centre that Robert owned and where Marco now worked as a physio. This was the last day they would be open before the holidays but today wasn’t a work day - today was party day. First of all there would be a huge party for all the children they worked with and later on an evening do for all of the staff and their partners. Robert loved this. He spared no expense, no detail was overlooked. This year he was even more excited than usual – if such a thing was possible – now that he had Marco at his side to share the joy.

Łukasz, Robert’s second-in-command, was in charge of things when they arrived, supervising the decoration of one of the large sports halls. The room was being transformed into an elaborate winter wonderland, an enchanted kingdom complete with Santa’s Grotto. Maybe it wasn’t very traditional but Robert couldn’t resist the idea and everybody liked getting a present from Father Christmas, no matter how old they were or what they called him.

Marco couldn’t help grinning as he watched Robert running round, making sure that everything was absolutely perfect, tweaking a decoration here, sorting out the party food there. Finally everything was ready and the doors were opened to dozens of excited children. There were games for the younger ones and more food than even a room full of hungry kids were capable of eating, as well as space for the older ones to just chill and enjoy hanging out. And Santa’s Grotto proved a big hit, even with those guests who pretended to be far too cool to be interested in Santa.

‘Kuba makes a surprisingly handsome Santa,’ Marco whispered to Robert as they paused for a moment to draw breath. Łukasz’s partner was indeed quite magnificent as Father Christmas, smiley and charming as he held court in his grotto to the waiting throng of over-excited children.

‘Yes he does, but I prefer his elf helper myself,’ Robert teased him.

Marco pretended to be annoyed, but he knew Robert was only joking. Santa’s little helper was unexpectedly tall and elegant, wearing a particularly chic elf suit, in all probability ‘designer elf’. And he carried off the pointy ears and jauntily placed green hat with style.

‘I think that Santa feels exactly the same, given the glances he keeps sending in the direction of his elf when none of the kids are looking,’ giggled Marco.

‘And the elf is definitely flirting back as well!’

Santa and his elf were utterly adorable together, but they stayed professional until the very last guest had left. Only then did Santa take his beard off and pull his elf onto his knee, kissing him on the tip of his nose. After a minute or two of snuggling on Santa’s knee, the two of them vanished behind the grotto for a more intimate private audience with Father Christmas.

‘I think Santa and his elf are making out behind the grotto,’ Robert smiled, pulling Marco in for a kiss as well. ‘Let’s give them some privacy and get on with the clearing up. Something tells me that the elf outfit just might be going home with Łukasz tonight.’

It took an hour or so of hard work to clear up all the mess. Woj and some of the other physios had volunteered to help set things up for the evening and supervise the caterers Robert had hired.

‘Let’s go and freshen up,’ Robert said with a wink, ‘make ourselves look beautiful!’

They’d brought clean clothes for the evening party and headed off to the showers to get ready. Even though they were technically at work and he had to behave himself, Marco still loved the novelty of showering next to Robert, unable to resist turning his head slightly to watch the water cascading over that perfectly-muscled body, biting his lips slightly at the tempting sight. They were alone and Robert was all too well aware of Marco watching him, so he put on a bit of a show, wriggling suggestively, soaping his skin as enticingly as possible.

Marco waited until they at least had the safety net of towels wrapped securely round their waists before embracing his love, capturing his lips in a fierce, passionate kiss. He loved how Robert felt under his fingers, all soft, wet, slippery naked skin over strong muscle, smelling so deliciously of shampoo and shower gel. He licked into Robert’s mouth, his love tasting appetisingly sweet and not just from the food he’d eaten at the party. Their still wet bodies were pressed hard up against each other, aching with love and want and need. But that would have to wait as this was just a foretaste of what would come later once they were alone; for now they were just teasing each other with their desire, letting it build and simmer to a gorgeous fever pitch.

Robert getting dressed did nothing to suppress Marco’s excitement. His dark-haired love sensuously massaged lotion into every inch of his skin. Marco was biting his lip hard now, his fingers tingling to stroke Robert’s skin, to be the one massaging him as was his right. But that would almost certainly end up in them having sex in the locker room, which probably wasn’t a very good idea, even at Christmas. They had professional reputations to maintain after all. Although the sight of Robert in figure hugging black jeans and a tight black fitted shirt really tested his resolve. He had to rely on a little luck to ease himself into his own, suddenly a little too tight, jeans.

They were standing side by side before the mirror wrangling their hair into its customary vertical perfection by the time Łukasz and Kuba finally stumbled in to get changed.

‘Ah I see Santa finally let go of his elf long enough for the two of you to get ready,’ Robert teased them with a huge grin on his face.

‘Well can you blame me! I have the handsomest elf in the world by my side. And I get to take him home at the end of the night as well.’ Kuba kissed his elf again while Robert and Marco groaned in pretend disgust. Not that they really minded. Kuba and Łukasz were so obviously deeply, head over heels in love with one another.

Somehow their friends managed to keep their hands off each other long enough to get changed and the four of them made their way into the freshly decorated sports hall. Marco couldn’t help whistling in wonder. The normally utilitarian room had been transformed into a stylish, comfortable party venue. Swathes of velvet draped the walls, softening the hard brick and concrete. Strings of fairy lights twinkled all around and the warm glow of candle light flickered on every beautifully laid table.

Their dinner companions were Woj and his beautiful wife, plus a couple of the other physios. They ate until they were stuffed full and the tables were cleared and pushed back to leave space for dancing.

Robert tuned to him, holding his hand out in invitation, a smile on his lips. ‘As the boss I have the responsibility of being first on the dancefloor. But only if you do me the honour of being my partner.’

Marco melted into his love’s arms, feeling elegant and graceful in Robert’s embrace as they moved together. He loved dancing with Robert, loved how strong and so gentle the man he loved was, how safe and how happy he felt held close on the dancefloor. He rested his head on Robert’s shoulder, drinking in how good he smelled. This felt like being in a dream – or in a film – swirling and swaying in the arms of the most handsome man in the world as the lights twinkled and sparkled around them.

They kissed soft and gentle, their professional duties fulfilled, oblivious to anything else except their love and desire for one another. It was nearly midnight by the time they slipped away, saying a few quiet farewells to the party animals who remained. But they needed the refuge of their own warm, cosy bed to finally give in to their overwhelming need for each other.

Marco stretched sleepily in Robert’s arms the next morning, warm, sleepy and satisfied. They cuddled for a while, not having anything in particular to do this morning. Finally they made it out of bed for a long, lazy breakfast. And then it was time to do something that Marco had been longing to do – decorate their tree. They’d decided not to wait until Christmas Eve. Łukasz and Kuba were coming to dinner tonight before travelling south to spend the holidays with Łukasz’s family and they wanted their home to look as welcoming and as Christmassy as possible.

This was their first Christmas together. The first time they’d decorated their tree together and they were making new memories, creating new traditions for them as a couple. The tree was huge, maybe Robert had got a little carried away - even he had to admit the possibility - but Marco loved it. He loved every shimmering glass bauble. He loved every carefully chosen hand-carved wooden ornament. He loved the glittering star that adorned the top of their tree. And he loved standing there with his arms round Robert, the two of them exchanging sweet kisses as they admired their beautifully illuminated tree.

Dinner was perfect. This time they used their formal dining room, lighting the candles in the pair of elaborate antique silver candelabras that sat on the mahogany table. Marco had cooked for them tonight as Robert had claimed kitchen duties for Christmas Eve. He couldn’t help himself from basking in the compliments and taking pleasure from the empty plates. But more than that he felt like he had finally found where he belonged. He was home. Home was here with Robert by his side, his love sparkling brighter than the candlelight, his dark beauty even more breathtaking tonight in the light of Christmas, the love shining out of his brilliant blue eyes.

Both of them were ready for sleep by the time they went to bed, too tired to do more than kiss goodnight as they snuggled down to sleep. Marco pillowed his head on Robert’s chest, murmuring happily as he tucked his head under his love’s chin. And when they woke up, it would be Christmas Eve.

Waking up in Robert’s arms was the best present Marco could ever ask for, their lips finding each other in a good morning kiss, the sensations both familiar and new, like every other morning before and every morning yet to come.

‘Let me spoil you today,’ Robert whispered to him, ‘I’ve been longing to spend Christmas with my true mate for so many years now. Let me do this. Please.’

Of course Marco couldn’t deny him his wish. Not today. Not any day. His day began with breakfast in bed, Robert lovingly feeding him small bites of pancake, kissing the crumbs from his lips.

And then it was off to the kitchen to prepare the feast. They wouldn’t eat anything else until it was time for the traditional Christmas Eve meal. Robert had promised him the full twelve courses as his love was determined that Marco would have the perfect Polish Christmas Eve experience. All Marco was allowed to do was sit and watch Robert cook, basking in the warmth of a kitchen full of festive love.

Finally Robert was satisfied that everything was just the way he wanted it to be and it was time for them to get ready. They showered together that afternoon, kissing and caressing each other under the hot stream of water. Marco sighed in bliss as Robert washed his hair for him, something he always loved for its very simplicity and intimacy.

‘Shall we dress for dinner?’ Marco asked. He adored his Robert naked in his arms, but there was always something very special about seeing him dressed up for the evening in a crisp white shirt and perfectly cut dark suit.

They stood hand in hand on the balcony, eyes fixed on the darkening sky, searching for the first star to appear in the heavens above, the herald of Christmas.

‘There! There it is!’ Marco pointed excitedly at the sky, a thrill running through him that he hadn’t felt since the Christmases of childhood past.

‘Happy Christmas, darling,’ Robert pulled him into a tight embrace.

‘Happy Christmas, my love,’ Marco answered. They hugged for a long while, luxuriating in the warmth of their deep love for one another. Until Marco’s stomach spoiled the mood by giving out a loud rumble that was.

‘I’m relieved that you’re hungry,’ Robert laughed, ‘as there’s a lot of food to get through.’

His love had indeed cooked them a feast worthy of a very special Christmas Eve. All twelve courses of it. There was dark, fragrant, musky wild mushroom soup. Traditional Christmas Pierogi. The carp Robert had lavished such care and attention on. And three dessert courses, including sweet, sticky, spiced gingerbread and a pastry filled with poppy seeds that Robert told him was an essential part of the meal. Finally they were stuffed to bursting point, just about able to do the most basic clear up before waddling into their living room and collapsing on the sofa.

‘Dinner was wonderful, but I’m so full that there’s no way I’ll be fit for anything but snuggling and sleeping for the rest of the evening,’ Marco apologised.

Robert kissed his hair softly. ‘As much as I love doing other things with you, cuddling is perfect, just perfect. But I hope that you have the energy to open your Christmas gift.’

Tears sprang to Marco’s eyes as he saw what Robert had got for him, gold cufflinks engraved with their intertwined initials. He held his breath as Robert opened his own present, hoping that it would be OK. He’d searched every bookshop in the city to find the perfect book with pictures of Warsaw in its glory days.

‘I thought that we could maybe look at it together and you could tell me all about Old Warsaw,’ he explained nervously.

Robert didn’t say a word, but the shining light in his eyes and the way he stroked over the pictures as he leafed through the handsome volume reassured Marco that he’d made the right choice.

‘Thank you, Marco,’ he said finally. ‘It’s perfect. You’re perfect. I wanted this Christmas to be perfect for you.’

‘It was. It is. But most of all it is perfect because we’re together.’

From somewhere they found the energy to kiss, lying snuggled close on the sofa, the room lit up by the muted twinkling glow of their Christmas tree, not a sound to be heard except for noise of their gentle kisses and their soft sighs of happiness.


End file.
